Sparks
Founded: 1969 Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA Website Link(s): Official Site Label(s) * Virgin * Island * Oglio * Rhino * Bearsville Genre(s) * Rock * Pop * Glam * Comedy * Experimental * Art Rock * Dance * Disco * Orchestral Pop * Electropop RIYL * DEVO * Barnes & Barnes * The Residents * David Bowie * Pet Shop Boys * The Tubes Band Members * Ron Mael * Russell Mael * Ernie Mankey * Jim Mankey * Harley Feinstein * Adrian Fisher * Martin Gordon * Norman "Dinky" Diamond * Trevor White * Ian Hampton * Jeff Salen *Sal Maida *Hilly Michaels *Bob Haag * Leslie Bohem * David Kendrick * John Thomas * Spencer Sircombe * Dean Menta * Tammy Glover Includes Members of * Bates Motel * Concrete Blonde * DEVO * Radio Stars * Jet * The Jook * Tuff Darts * Milk & Cookies * The Gleaming Spires * Faith No More Band Biography Sparks started in the late 1960s under the name "Halfnelson", and their debut LP was produced by Todd Rundgren. Unfortunately, it didn't go anywhere, as it wasn't promoted. However, following a reissue with a name change to "Sparks", the album did quite a bit better, having a couple of Almost-Hits. A few albums later, and a few more almost-hits later, Sparks were having much more success in the UK, so they moved to London for a time, doing their particular 1970s mixture of glam, rock, disco and, well, Sparksness. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, they hooked up with Giorgio Moroder for a bit of a more electropop/dance sound, with a bit more of a rock tinge. In most cases, their lyrical sense of humor was intact, although ''Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat'' pretty much dropped all that, and suffered as a result, no longer sounding like a Sparks album but just a good, but generic 1980s Pop record. Their output has slowed in the 1990s and beyond, but they're still going strong, putting out some of their strongest work, in a more electropop vein, with the excellent Balls and Li'l Beethoven. Discography Albums * Sparks/''Halfnelson'' * A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing * Kimono My House * Propaganda * Indiscreet * Big Beat * Introducing Sparks * No. 1 In Heaven * Terminal Jive * Whomp That Sucker * Angst In My Pants * In Outer Space * Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat * Music That You Can Dance To * Interior Design * Gratuitous Sax And Senseless Violins * Plagiarism * Balls * Li'l Beethoven * Hello Young Lovers EPs Singles Appears On Compilations * New Music For 2006 Soundtracks Mix CDs * Dub Club: Aila's Dub Club Mix * Wally's Novelty Mix: She Yo-Yos Me and I Yo-Yo Her Back * Dub Club: Matt's 2005 Best Of -- Streets Named For New England Trees * Dub Club Matt Auxilliary: KITTY!!! * Dub Club IV: Critter! Critter! Critter! A Tribute to Critters * Happy Birthday Dad * Dub Club: Aren't You Going To Wish Me Happy Birthday? - Matt *Dub Club V: The Final Frontier - Aila * Mp3s Posted At Phancy.Com * Pray For My TV Show * Dub Club - Lindsey A. Baker - Space * It Came From The Drive-In! * Dub Club: Aila - The Radio Is Broken * Aila.Vox.Com * Revme.Vox.Com * Dub Club: Aila - Rarities Schmarities * Best Of 2006 Radio Shows * 50 Skidillion Watts Of Good Will Episode 1 * 50 Skidillion Watts Of Good Will Episode 2 * 50 Skidillion Watts Of Good Will Episode 3 * 50 Skidillion Watts Of Good Will Episode 5 Further Reading * Wikipedia Page Category:Artists Category:Bands